Beginning in Week Four of Term Two, our Media, Music and Spanish classes are rotating between classes.

Classes that previously had Media will now have Spanish. Classes with Music have changed to Media, and classes that had Spanish with Mr. Pasten will now have Music.

Media

Hello, I am Mr. Howarth and welcome to Media! This specialist subject is in its second year at Saltwater College and is now offered to all Primary classes from Prep to Year Six.

In Media, we learn how we can communicate messages and ideas through different media mediums, including photography, sound, filming, advertising, visual narratives, etc. Students also analyse and interpret media texts with cross-curricular connections made with Literacy, Numeracy, Language and the Arts.

Our unit topics include migration, Indigenous history, our emotions, advertising, and Who We Are.

I am looking forward to getting to know all students throughout the year.

Hi there! I’m Steve Saxton the Primary Years Music teacher at Saltwater P-9.

Welcome to the new cohort of students from Years Prep to Six beginning music this week! This week we are creating Essential Agreements for successful learning, helping us think about how we learn and choices we make as we work together. In Prep to Year Two classes, we begin focusing on playing and singing together as whole groups to set us up to try new things in a happy supportive environment. In Years Three – Six we set our expectations for our time in Music as independent learners as well as identifying that we are a community of creative artists and performers.

Visual Art

We are excited to share with you some of the wonderful things our students have been learning in the visual arts classes.

The Foundation students have been exploring the art technique of Pointillism, Paint, and Colour Theory. They have been creating vibrant and colourful artworks using tiny dots of colour, which when seen from afar, blend together to create a beautiful image. They have also been learning about primary colours and how to mix them to create new secondary hues. It has been fascinating to watch our young artists experiment with colour combinations and see their excitement as they create their unique masterpieces.

The Grade 1 students have been exploring the work of the great Impressionist painter, Claude Monet. They have been learning about his life and his famous paintings, particularly his series of Water Lilies. The students have also been practicing sketching trees and landscapes, and learning to use loose, gestural strokes to create a sense of movement in their artwork. It has been wonderful to see our young artists gaining confidence in their drawing skills and developing their own personal style.

Grade 2 students have been focusing on Cubism and portraiture. They have been learning about the famous artist, Pablo Picasso, through the medium of watercolour. The students have been exploring different ways to represent the human face, experimenting with shapes, lines, and colours to create striking and expressive portraits.

Grade 3 students have been focusing on Pablo Picasso's landscape watercolours. They have been studying his unique use of colour and form to create impressionistic and highly emotive landscapes. They have been experimenting with different techniques and styles to create their own interpretations of his works, and the results have been truly impressive.

The Grade 4 students have been exploring Van Gogh's use of vibrant colours, bold brushstrokes, and expressive compositions. Looking at his famous Sunflower series, the students have been appraising and responding to artworks. Discussing the meanings behind them, and reflecting on how they make them feel.

The grade 5 students have been finalising their Term 1 final pieces, which showcase their skills and creativity developed throughout the term.

The students have also been analysing and responding to Vincent Van Gogh's ‘Cafe Terrace at Night’ paintings, discussing the meanings behind them and reflecting on how they make them feel. This helps them to develop their critical thinking skills and their ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings about art.

The Grade 6 students have been exploring the principles of shading and light to produce a realistic and accurate representation of a three-dimensional object. They have been learning about the importance of contrast and gradation in creating the illusion of depth and volume in still life art.

We are incredibly proud of all our students' hard work and creativity. We look forward to seeing what else they will achieve in the coming weeks and months.

Students at Saltwater p-9 College continued to develop their Spanish language skills by practicing basic vocabulary and using it to communicate with their teachers and peers. In a recent project, they created bilingual Mother's Day cards, showcasing their ability to express themselves in both English and Spanish.

The project not only allowed the students to practice their language skills but also helped them connect with their Hispanic heritage and culture. By using the Spanish language in their daily interactions, the students are building a foundation for future fluency and understanding.

Throughout the project, the students demonstrated a strong sense of creativity and enthusiasm, with many of them incorporating unique designs and personal messages into their cards. The project was a great success and allowed the students to show their appreciation for their mothers in a meaningful and bilingual way.

Overall, this project highlights the importance of language learning and cultural awareness in today's globalised world. By providing opportunities for students to practice their language skills and engage with different cultures, we are helping to prepare them for success.

Congratulations to our Spanish learning community.

Señor Pasten and Señor Javi.

Physical Education

Year 3-6 PE lessons have been focusing on our new topic this term called Invasion Games. During this topic, students have played modified skill activities of basketball and

netball. The major focus has been on shooting, passing and maintaining possession of the ball.

Prep-2 students have been developing their fine motor skills of catching, overhand throw and ball bounce in tabloid sport activities. Students have enjoyed working in group activities where they can develop their social skills and communication by sharing equipment and taking turns in activities.

DANCE.

Dance has seen an impressive couple of weeks with Year 2 and Year 3 students coming in totally focussed and engaged, giving their all throughout the classes. We have worked on contrast in dance, ranging from big to small movements, soft to sharp accents and steps, and flow within the choreography and the effects it has. Students had also been creative throughout this process adding their own creative steps to the combinations already set out and provided. This also helped build on muscle memory and retaining the information set out.

Throughout class and the tasks provided, we also discussed the importance of commitment and accountability, and how a students mindset and approach to the exercises presented can also make positive changes to other areas of life and goals to be achieved. Students were very engaged and open minded in these discussions resulting in such a positive outcome to the challenges and tasks set out.

Our Victorian State School Spectacular dancers had their second combined schools HUB rehearsal this week. They were outstanding in all areas representing Saltwater College and the community at the highest level. Their focus and commitment to rehearsals has been positive and consistent, reflecting clearly and proudly at the combined schools rehearsal. They have been placed in prime location to help lead the way alongside other school with the final performance coming up on September 9th. The teamwork between students has been amazing, creating a strong bond between the group which has been reflected throughout the rehearsal process while gaining great respect from the organisers. We are almost half way through the journey and the best is yet to come. Thanks you to the students for their hard work and doing great job representing Saltwater! :)

Wellbeing Report